What would you ask a former Chief of Staff?

General as a tanker, the A-10 increases the odds of ground forces survival. What is the future of that platform? Which aircraft will replace it? I realize that air superiority is the USAF primary mission, but we need need ground support!

Gen Norton Schwartz

Sir, I think in hindsight we can agree the Function of the Armed Forces and the Joint Chiefs of Staff was short sighted in removing tactical fixed wing air assets from the Army, I think the current best example of this in the A-10 debate that has been been going on for at least the last decade.

Does it not make sense for the Army to have some, if not all or the majority, fixed wing close air support aircraft?

And, while I would agree that the A-10 is outdated, the problem is that there is nothing currently flying that can replace it? Don't you keep the best weapon flying for its mission in your arsenal until you can find something better?

Why isn't there a honor guard tab authorized for soldiers ib the army reserve who perform milirary funerals? I myself have performed 259 military funerals

What were the biggest frustrations you experienced as COS? I routinely interact with the Agencies and White House programs while running vets-help.org. I have found the route to be successful is an adventure.

The F-35 is an already obsolete and inefficient weapons system according to those not getting a direct stipend from its design and construction. It is a financial boondoggle from my background as a CPA. What makes it, from your view, a project we should continue as opposed to eliminating it to keep it from being another incredibly expensive oops? The cost-benefit ratio as an advanced weapons platform was extinguished long ago. Here's how much we're paying per the article cited below with a total cost of $ 1.4 Trillion as of March 2012:

A single Air Force F-35A costs a whopping $148 million. One Marine Corps F-35B costs an unbelievable $251 million. A lone Navy F-35C costs a mind-boggling $337 million. Average the three models together, and a "generic" F-35 costs $178 million.

http://www.pogo.org/our-work/straus-military-reform-project/weapons/2014/how-much-does-an-f-35-cost.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

I would be proud to have upper leadership talk with us and specifically any insight that he may have concerning the future or the services and will we have to play catchup after losing so much hardware.

I was in the Air Force from 1977-1997 when sexual assault and cheating scandals were unheard of. What is different about the mindset of today's Air Force?

The military retirement system, as it stands now, is under attack for being to much of a burden on the budget. Military members, and their jobs, are being compared to civilians and since civilians don't get their retirement after 20 years of service the military system is being labeled as excessive. Military members are retiring after 20-30 years of service and are still working age but are also collecting their retirement checks. Why is it ok to compare civilians to military? This is like comparing apples to oranges. This country asked those military members to perform a specific mission / job with the promise of retirement after 20-30 years of service. Why is it ok to buy multi-billion dollar weapons system but not pay for the sacrifice that military service demands. The system isn't broken, its the perception of the system and its cost that needs to be fixed.

Actually I would like to know what is slowly transpiring with the jade helm 15 build up in several states more specifically the state of texas where I'm extremely close to one such build up area. Should i be worried about the up comming alleged exercise

Sir, thank you for your distinguished service, and for spending time with us on RallyPoint.

Here's my question. Would it benefit service members to receive mental health services from more seasoned professionals who actually held a role similar to theirs? Perhaps a professional who has demonstrated recovery from issues such as substance use and PTSD? I don't know many young social workers without military service who would even consider touching a side arm, let alone being able to empathize with a service member, or understand the culture in which they live and must perform.

It appears to me that we could do a better job of assisting our service men and women keeping a career as they overcome obstacles related to substance use, mental health, and difficulty in relationships. I would like to equip service members with tools for the long haul. I don't want to turn them into victims, and thus render them disposable from a military point of view.

I am a 52-year-old, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, and am currently the clinical director of a county inpatient psychiatric evaluation and treatment unit. I was a combat arms officer in the army, and have 6 years of military service, which included a short tour in Korea. I effectively transitioned from military life into the career of a mental health professional. However, it took a while. There were some speed bumps. I recently explored the possibility of returning to active duty, but found out that I was about 10 years too late.

Thank you for considering my question. If nothing else, it was therapeutic for me to ask it.